Embracing the inevitable
by staceycity
Summary: This is my take on what should have happened after the episode 'Manhunt 9.04'.


Her eyes settled on the ocean ahead of her, as she rested her arms against the white railing surrounding the house she had not so long ago called _her_ house... _their_ house. It was a long day at work, with emotions taking the best on Calleigh for most of the day as this new case developed or rather an old case re-opened as Memo escaped from prison.

The waves crashed against the white fine sand that surrounded the coastal edge in front of her. Eric and her had bought this house a couple of months ago when they were together...an item. The light breeze that claimed the air swayed against her hair, pushing a couple of locks in front of her face, making Calleigh pushing them quite a couple of times behind her ears to no avail, as the breeze insisted on caressing her face tonight.

The silky nightdress, she really shouldn't be wearing was caressing the rest of her body. Her creamy skin looking delicious in the fine fabric that hugged her, giving nothing out and everything at the same time. She really shouldn't even be here, knowing that if Eric walked through that door right now, he was going to get a whole new idea of why she was even here in the first place.

Yet again, they had walked in different paths, and Calleigh was exhausted. They walked away and not long after they walked in the same direction again, and to Calleigh this was all new. She didn't understand why she was even bothering, why she kept returning, why she simply didn't walk away and that was it. That was how it always went with relationships when it came to her. The guy gave up on her and she never bothered. She always told herself that she didn't need men in her life, and yet something about Eric always made her walk right back...try again.

She really couldn't even figure out what it was that just wouldn't let her give up on them. Even when she was the one who put on the breaks and walked away, deep down, she knew...she felt it deep inside her heart, that this was not completely over and done with. It could be because they work together, so they have to face each other every single day...it could be his smile, his eyes, the way he always knew what something was wrong, the way he looks at her, the way he slips his arms down her arms, the way he hugs...the way he always made love to her.

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily, trying to keep the tears that were already burning the back of her eyes. She just needed to be close to him today.

Memo being out and about, Calleigh knew that this was personal to Eric...knew that this was going to be hard on him. She had even tried talking to him at one point but he had already left with Horatio.

oooOOOooo

Eric was standing alone in the locker room, completely exhausted and worn out after today's events, and he just wished he could click his fingers and be at home...be at home with her, but even if he could click his fingers and be home already, he knew she was not going to be there.

She hadn't been for a couple of weeks now, and it pained Eric every time he walked into his house...into the house that used to be theirs. He had even contemplated of selling the whole damn thing, but something kept him from doing that. There were just too many memories in that beach house...too many memories with her, and even though she wouldn't be there when he got home, Eric somehow felt close to her just by being there.

It seemed like her scent was still there, maybe because she still had some stuff there. He often found himself staring at her clothes, or smelling her perfume, her shampoo, any of her stuff...even the stupid herbal teas she drank from time to time, Eric just lingered on those little things that made Calleigh.

He ran a hand through his shaved hair and exhaled heavily. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have let her slip away? He had dreamed of having her in his arms, of being with her, of making love to her for so many years, and yet when he finally had all that...he let it slip away.

Eric just couldn't understand how things went so bad after they had finally made it to actually acknowledge that they wanted to be together. First with his whole father business, and then the bloody job at the attorney general's office, which Calleigh herself had suggested in the first place. He just wanted to go back. He just wanted to be with her and that is it.

He really wanted to talk to her today. Eric had hardly seen her, except for when they were interrogating Yvonne, and then she had texted him and Eric thought that maybe, just maybe, she still cared about it. He grabbed his phone and found her text, the sudden urge to read it again being to great to ignore.

 _"Please be careful"_

It was short but yet so her. Full of meaning behind the words. She cared. It was obvious, and it was obvious she knew how personal this case is.

He got up then, grabbed his bag, and decided to go home, have a shower and go over to her place. He just needed to talk to her...hug her. That's it. He just needed that tonight, and he was sure Calleigh would understand.

oooOOOooo

It was getting a bit dark already, getting a bit late, and Eric was still nowhere to be seen, and Calleigh was beginning to worry. No one said that they were going out for drinks, and even though she wasn't supposed to be here, and at first she really didn't want Eric to come home and find her here, especially in a nightdress, but now that she was here, and Eric was late, she couldn't seem to leave.

She needed to see him. She needed to be sure that he was alright.

It was so easy for him to just give into his anger, frustration and go to a bar and drink his frustration away, or even worse...

'Calleigh...what are you doing here?' she heard him ask from behind her.

She turned around and her eyes settled on him, taking in the tired expression on his face, and then her eyes took in the rest of him. The way the grey suit fit him so perfectly, not to mention the white shirt underneath. She loved that suit. She often told him how much she adored him in that grey suit especially with a white or purple shirt underneath.

Eric on the other hand was staring at her, taking in the beautiful sight in front of him. A sight he had thought he would never see again and yet, she was standing in his house, in her nightdress...the one she had left behind. Her eyes were bright, a bit glassy, and that told him that she was fighting tears from streaming down her face for some reason.

'Hey' she whispered with a smile. She looked...peaceful...relaxed...

'I'm sorry for coming like this. I should have called you first' she told him.

'No it's fine Cal' he replied, the endearment slipping so easily through his lips.

'I just...I need to come to this view' she told him as she turned around again, resting her arms over the white railings. The breeze was still toying with her hair, and Eric took a moment to take a picture of this view. Calleigh in his balcony, wearing just a silky nightdress, hair swaying filling his nostrils. He could already smell her scent...so her...so uniquely _her_ , before he slipped his hands in his pockets briefly and made his way over to her, pulling his arms out, he mimicked her position, as he stopped right next to her, leaving just enough space so their arms weren't touching.

'This view...it's just...so beautiful' she whispered her eyes closing slowly for further affection.

'Yeah...so beautiful' he whispered, his eyes glued on her.

Calleigh paused for a second, realizing that he wasn't talking about the same view she was. The way he said it...so longingly...so affectionate. She slowly turned her head to look at him, her eyes connecting with his...and then she smiled and Eric had to smile. She just looked breathtakingly beautiful.

'I thought you weren't coming' she told him 'Thought you went for some drinks' she continued.

'No' he replied, as he slipped his hands in his pockets again 'That's not what I needed' he told her, looking away from her eyes momentarily.

'Then...what do you need?' she asked him, taking a step closer to him. Her body just moved in its own accord, and even though Calleigh was conscious, she couldn't seem to hold herself back. He just looked so upset...rattled. She just wanted to reach out and hug him. She knew that that was exactly what he needed, and if she was honest...she needed that too. She just missed him.

'You' he simply whispered and now their eyes were locked on each other again. His eyes were shimmering, and she could see that swirl of golden twist dancing in his eyes 'I just...need a hug' he whispered.

Calleigh smiled, closed the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck, as Eric slid his arms round her waist, resting his palms together over the small of her back. He felt her rest the side of her face against his, and Eric just couldn't resist but lift one hand to cup the back of her head, letting his digits hide into her golden hair.

'Me too' she whispered.

It took a moment for Eric to really register what she had said. Did she just say that she needed to hug him? He pulled reluctantly out of her embrace then. He just needed to look into her eyes, a mix of the colorful ocean, hues of blues and green that shifted according to the colors she was wearing.

'Are you alright?' he asked her, as a breeze messed her hair, locks caressing her cheek and Eric had to smile. He just loved her the breeze always seemed to play with her hair. He slid his hand over her face and pushed that strand behind her ear and Calleigh smiled, knowing how much he loved doing that.

'Yeah...I was just worried about you today' she admitted 'I know how personal this case is...and now he is out on the loose...' she said.

'Yeah...I swear if it wasn't for Elsa...I would have shot him in the head' he told her, and she could see the frustration on his face again, as he furrowed his eyebrows.

'You did the right thing' she told him taking his hand into hers, his thumb caressing his knuckles 'You don't want that girl to witness something so horrible, even if her father is Memo' she told him.

'I know...but he started talking about family, and all I could think about was Marisol' Eric replied.

'I know' she whispered. She was looking in that particular way and Eric just needed to step away for a second. He needed to breathe. He was constantly reminding himself that they weren't together, that he couldn't just pull her in his arms and hug her or kiss her, so he just needed to take a minute away from her.

'Hey do you mind, if I just change out of this suit?' he asked her.

'Of course, go ahead' she whispered smiling back at him 'I'll just wait here' she told him.

Eric nodded and made his way to his bedroom...the same room, that once was their bedroom. All these memories were the reason why he had contemplated selling the house. He had stepped away from her to breathe, and yet the first room he goes into, holds more memories of them together, than the same balcony they were in just now.

He quickly removed his jacket, his shirt and then his trousers, grabbed a black shorts and a white tank top and just as quickly made his way out back to her.

'Would you like something to drink?' he asked her before joining her.

'No thanks Eric' she replied. He grabbed a bottle of beer then, and made his way back out next to her.

'So emm...ironically I was going to come and look for you, hadn't I find you here' he admitted.

'You were?' she asked surprised...or maybe not as much.

'Yeah...I have been worried about you lately actually' he admitted.

'Worried? Why?' she asked him, and Eric realized that suddenly her shoulders tensed a little bit, as she looked away from him.

'I've noticed that you have been coming in quite late, lately...not everyday...but there were days when you came to work quite late...and you haven't been on the field much...are you alright?' he asked her.

He noticed. She had thought he wouldn't notice, that she could just slip in late without him realizing that she was doing that on purpose at times to avoid being there when the call came in and she would have to go out on the crime scene. She couldn't go and at times, she simply didn't have that much control either.

'I am' she replied 'I thought you hadn't noticed really' she told him with that cute roll of her eyes.

'Is there a particular reason why you have been coming in late?' he asked her cautiously. She just told him that she was alright, but for some reason he was just too scared that she might not exactly be alright.

There was really no use keeping this from him any longer...he deserved to know...and truth be told...she wanted to tell him. She _needed_ to tell him.

She made sure she was looking straight in his eyes when the words came out 'I'm pregnant' she told him, and Eric just stared but instinctively he closed the distance between them.

'You...You're pregnant?' he asked her. She noticed how his hand had almost cupped her cheek but then he rubbed the back of his head instead, like he wasn't sure if he could or should touch her like that.

'Yes' she replied 'I just found out really. Just two months pregnant' she told him 'I had to let Horatio know that I was suspecting that I was pregnant so he wouldn't send me out but no one else knows. I was just trying to find the right time to tell you. I just...I didn't know how you were going to take this' she told him.

A chuckle escaped his mouth then and his hands just cupped her cheek 'Calleigh...oh my God...you're pregnant?' he asked her as a smile started filling his face until a thought ran through his head that immediately wiped his smile away 'Cal...are you happy? Should I be happy?' he asked her 'Do you want this baby?' he asked. Just the mere thought that she would say no, broke him into pieces he just couldn't explain.

'Of course I do. Eric...I know we are not together right now, but we were when this baby was conceived...we were happy...together...Of course I want this baby, and yes...yes I'm happy' she told him placing a hand on her still flat belly.

'Oh my God' he whispered again, a hand running through his head again 'We're having a baby' he whispered as he slipped his arms around her waist and twirled them around.

Calleigh screeched and laughed as she let her head drop back, her arms wrapped around his neck, legs half bent back, as she let herself drown in this moment, before he placed her back on the ground, his arms still wrapped around her back, he let his forehead drop against hers.

'Calleigh' he whispered. He just wanted to kiss her, he wanted to show her just how happy she has just made him, all thoughts of Memo wiped away for the rest of the day and night for that matter.

He felt her cup the side of his face as her eyes closed and then the sound of his name escaped her lips 'Eric' she whispered with so much need, and he knew that was his invitation to just lock those lips with hers...and lock them he did. He pressed his lips softly against hers...finding her...finding them again, as she parted her lips inviting him in. Their tongues twirled in a slow romantic ballad as they enjoyed being in each other's embrace, in this bubble of happiness.

'I'm sorry for ending this' she told him then as they ended the kiss, resting her hands against his chest, and Eric knew that she wasn't talking about the kiss, but about their relationship. She had told him that she couldn't do this anymore right after she had found out what he had done. She had always trusted him more than anyone else, and yet...he had managed to find a way to break that trust, and Calleigh just needed space.

She was scared.

She had never given her heart, herself in the same way she had given it to Eric. No man could hurt her the way he did.

'I betrayed your trust' he whispered stroking one cheek.

'You were doing your job...a job I had practically pushed you in...I should have understood that you couldn't tell me what you were doing. I should have trusted you. I never should have asked if you had been wearing the wire when we were together' she told him.

'Cal...you had just found out about the whole thing, and even though I made it seem that I couldn't believe you were asking me such a question...I can understand that now. I can never do that to you. You mean so much to me Cal...' he told her, hand on her cheek, as he rested his forehead against hers again.

'You mean a lot to me too...to us' she whispered as her hand dropped from his chest to her belly.

Eric took a step back and let his hand rest on top of hers 'You mean a lot to me too little one' he whispered as he went down on his knees 'I can't wait to meet you, to see you for the first time, to feel you kick for the first time' he whispered and a tear escaped her eyes then, as it traveled down her cheek as she watched him.

'Eric...' she whispered, and Eric got up from the floor and cupped her cheek again, looking lovingly in her eyes.

'Will you take me back?' she asked him, and Eric knew how much courage that must have taken for her to say.

'I already did' he replied with a smile and she laughed, as he picked her up in his arms, and made their way to his bedroom where she belonged, and Calleigh knew that all she had to do was embrace the inevitable, and embrace it she did.


End file.
